Bridge-gate.



Patented Oct. 10, I899 H. CHE S MAN.

- BfilDGE GATE.

(Applicatin filed Dec. 9, 1898.)

(No Model.)

HARRY OHESMAN, OF

BRIDGE PATENT OFFICE.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

-c'ATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part or LettersPatent'No. 634,717, dated October 10, 1899.

Application filed December 9, i893.

To atZZ whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, HARRY CHESMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

5 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridge-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in gates for turning or revolving bridges; and I it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction', novel arrangement, and operation of the parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The objects of my invention are, first, to

I provide a bridge-gate which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction and strong,

durable, and positive in operation; second,

such a gate which may be raised or lowered so as to close the roadway or approach to the bridge by an operator located on the bridge.

and by hand or any other power, and, third, a

bridge-gate of the above-described character,

which can be raised or lowered only when the bridge is in position ready for traihc or 2 5 passengers and .shall be automatically supported and braced in its raised position.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a means for automatically displaying a danger-signal by the raising of the gate.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in whichy Figure 1 is a View in elevation of a bridgeabutment, showing the gates in their raised position and looking from the direction of the bridge. Fig. 2 is asectional view, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction 0 indicated by the arrows and showing the bridge shortened for the convenience of illus-- tration. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the abutment, showing the gate in its raised position and the manner of supporting and bracing the same. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a portion of the supporting or brace bar, and Fig. 5 is a fragmental View of portions of the rack-bar and segmental gear for operating the gate. p

Similarletters refer to like parts throughout the difierent views of the drawings.

A represents the abutment of a bridge,

Serial Nu. 698,794. (No model.)

which is provided with two or more posts B, preferably hollow and having guideways or grooves Z) for the reception and operation of the ends of the gates 0, which maybe made of any suitable size, form, and material. When the bridge is a wide one, I prefer to use two gates for closing the roadwayor approach, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, in which case three posts'are employed, one at each side of the abutment and the other one in the middle thereof, and, as before stated, I pre fer to use hollow posts, as shown, for the reception and operation of weights 0, which may be connected to the upper portion of the gates by means of chains .or cords c, which pass over pulleys c ,journaled in the upper portion of the posts, said weights acting as counterbalances for the gates, thus causing them to be more easily raised. Secured to. the inner surface of the gate or that surface thereof adjacent to the bridge is a rack-bar D, which engages a segmental gear E, jourdesired point on the bridge and which may be operated by means of a hand-lever H or in any other suitable manner or by means of any suitable power.

Pivotally secured at its upper end to the upper portion of the gate C and about its middle isa brace or supporting bar H, whose lower portion is provided with a longitudinal slot it, through which passes a pin h on a plate I, located in the road-bed or abutment. Loosely secured to the outer end of the plate I and extending to and over the pin it is a plate or shoe I, which, together with the plate 1, provides a pocket or recessc' for the reception and operation of the lower end of the brace bar or rod II when the gate is lowered,

and said plate also prevents the recess t' be 7 ing filled with dirt, which would retard or stop the movement of the brace-bar. The

upper portion of one of the posts B, and usually the middle one when three are employed, is provided with a recess '6 on its outer surface for the reception of a lamp 12 which may be employed as a danger-signal at night.

Located on the upper end of the post having the said recess is a cap Ct, against the lower portion of which the upper parts of the gates will strike in their upward movement, and thus automatically raise the cap or shield A and expose the light to view. When the gates are lowered and the bridge is open for traffic, it is evident that the cap or shield will also be lowered, and thus close the light from view.

WVhile I have shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings the drum G journaled on the floor of the bridge and illustrated the connection between it and the segmental gear E as being a chain or belt, yet I do not desire to be limited to such an arrangement or construction, as I may employ any desired means for turning the gear and may locate the apparatus there for at any desired point on the bridge.

The operation of my gate is simple and as follows: When the bridge is open for trafiic or passengers, the gate will be in a lowered position, so that its upper part will be about flush with the floor of the bridge and the surface of the abutment or approach, in which position the teeth of the gear E, which is a segmental one, as shown, will engage the teeth of the rack-bar on the gate, when by turning the gear the gate will be raised and carry with it the brace-bar H until the lower portion of its slot it engages the pin it, in which position the gate will be'firmly held by reason of the bar H and the weights 0, which may be located within the hollow of the posts B, as before stated. By using a segmental gear it is apparent that after the gate is raised and it is desired to turn the bridge that portion of the gear not provided with teeth will be presented to the rack-bar, so that the bridge may be turned without hindrance, as might occur if the'gear E was provided with teeth throughoutits periphery. To lower the gate, the bridge must be turned back into position for traliic, and by turning the gear in the opposite direction from that previously employed the gate will be lowered, in which operation the brace-bar H will slide into th e recess or pocket t and lie flatly on the surface of the road-bed or abutment, the plate or shoe 1 being loosely secured to the plate I, so as to permit of the movement thereunder of the brace-bar.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a gate, of a vertical rack-bar secured thereto, a guideway for the ends of the gate, a segmental gear jour- 'naled on the bridge and means to turn the same, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a gate, of a vertical rack-bar secured thereto, posts having guideways for the ends of the gate, a brace or, supporting rod pivotally secured at its upper end to the upper portion of the gate and having in its lower portion a slot, a pin located in said slot, a recess in the road-bed for the operation of the said bar, a gearjournaled on the bridge to engage the rack-bar and means to turn the gear, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a gate, of a rackbar vertically secured thereto, hollow posts having guideways for the ends of the gate, counterbalancing-weights located in the hollow of the posts and connected to the gate, one of said posts having in its upper portion a recess for a lamp, a movable cap or shield located on the upper portion of said post, a

gear journaled on the bridge to engage the rack-bar and means to turn the gear, substantially as described.

HARRY CHESMAN.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. .O. TILLMAN, E. A. DUGGAN. 

